Rizal (Cagayan)

This article is about the municipality in Cagayan. For the Philippine province, see Rizal

Rizal is a town of Cagayan province in the Philippines.

Rizal was established in the early 17th century on the foothills of the Cordillera mountains leading to present-day Apayao province. Formerly known as Malaueg, its name was changed in 1914 to Rizal in honor of the Philippine national hero. That same year, the town annexed the neighboring municipality of Mauanan to the east, resulting in its present shape.

The town's isolated location, tucked away on the southwestern corner of Cagayan along the valleys of the Matalag and Zinundungan Rivers and secluded from the rest of the province by a spur of the Cordillera mountains, made it a bastion of guerrilla resistance to Japanese forces during World War II. It also gave the town a notorious reputation as a lawless place due to the presence of the New People's Army rebels since the 1970s and heated political rivalries that have led to the recurring assassinations of local politicians, including that of three mayors since the 1980s.

Rizal is a sparsely-populated and primarily agricultural town trying to shed its reputation for lawlessness through promoting its natural attractions for ecotourism purposes. While nominally part of the Itawis-speaking region of southwestern Cagayan, it is home to an endemic and endangered language called Malaueg.

It is home to about 20,000 people (census, 1 July 2024)

Rizal is mostly accessible through a road running north from Tuao, where it is connected to the rest of the province and the provincial capital Tuguegarao via the Cagayan-Apayao Road. There are passenger vans and jeepneys running to town from Tuguegarao, although this may entail waiting for an indefinite period for the vehicle to fill up. During the rainy season, access through this road may be hindered by the overflowing of the Chico River and the submerging of the Itawes Bridge that connects Tuao with the municipality of Piat, forcing a lengthy detour through the Cagayan-Kalinga Road from Tabuk.

There are efforts to develop a dirt road along the Zinundungan River leading to the town of Lasam in the north into a paved and alternate access route. A new road was opened in the 2020s running parallel to the Cagayan-Apayao Road and directly connecting Rizal with the town of Conner in Apayao, ending Tuao's stranglehold on transportation links.

Tricycles are the main form of transportation within town. Due to the poor state of roads, a 4WD is necessary to reach the outlying barangays.

• 17.845497121.3452361 Saint Raymond of Peñafort Parish Church (Malaueg Church, Rizal Church), Poblacion (beside the municipal government compound), ☏ +63 967 990 1490. Rizal's main Roman Catholic church, built during the Spanish era in 1617 in a baroque style using stones quarried from the Matalag River. It was declared a national cultural treasure by the Philippine government in 2001 on account of its age and dual function as a fortress against raids by Kalingas and Isnegs from Apayao.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 17.828751121.4067112 Biuag and Malana Ecopark (Ambush Point), Cagayan-Apayao Road, Mauanan. A pair of mountains separated by the Matalag River and named after two opposing giants in local folklore. Derisively known as Ambush Point as it was a favorite site by NPA rebels to stage attacks on military convoys in the 1970s and 80s, it was redeveloped by the local government into an ecotourism venue containing picnic grounds, a bicycle zipline and a cable car.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 17.925374121.4043443 Blue Lagoon, Masi. A secluded and pristine freshwater natural pool in the Zinundungan Valley.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 17.864861121.3443664 Mount Annaguan, Poblacion. The highest peak in town, at 1,400 metres (4,600 ft). The summit holds views of the town as well as the neighboring provinces of Apayao and Kalinga.  (updated Sep 2026)

• Padekat Festival. April. Named after the local term for rice cake, it is the town's annual festival marking the establishment of the municipality on April 26. (updated Sep 2026)

• 17.857447121.3689471 Rizal Commercial Center, Cagayan-Apayao Road, Gagabutan West.  (updated Sep 2026)

Local delicacies in town include sinabalu, a rice cake roasted inside a rather bulky bamboo tube, and kasasut, a smoked pork jerky commonly eaten for breakfast.

• 17.847977121.345741 Casa Carolina, Poblacion. A pension house and the only accommodation in town.  (updated Sep 2026)

Despite the recurring political violence, tourists should not expect to be targeted and the residents are very much hospitable to visitors. To be sure though, avoid visiting the town during election season, which occurs every three years beginning in 2028 and in the first half of the said year. There may be a few NPA rebels hiding in the mountains.

The town's postal code is 3526.